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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26599918">Like My Own Name</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetether/pseuds/onetether'>onetether</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taang Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Avatar: The Last Airbender</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>College AU, F/M, Japan, Modern AU, South Asian food, South Asian representation, Taang - Freeform, Taang Week, Taang Week 2020, its amazing, the best food</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:35:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,849</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26599918</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/onetether/pseuds/onetether</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Toph celebrates her birthday, and Aang has a surprise.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Aang &amp; The Gaang (Avatar), Aang/Toph Beifong, Katara/Zuko (Avatar), Mai/Ty Lee (Avatar), Sokka/Suki (Avatar)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Taang Week 2020 [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1935145</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>41</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Like My Own Name</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Happy Birthday Toph!”</p><p>Blow horns were blown, balloons fell, cascading down, and falling beside her. Her friends were all still yelling, mixed versions of “I can’t believe your 16,” “Were you surprised?” and “There’s CHOCOLATE CAKE!”(that last one was definitely Sokka). Toph grinned, trying to yell over everyone, “Thanks, guys! Even though this wasn’t a surprise cause we all know Sugar Queen spilled the beans two months ago, I can’t believe all of you made it!” </p><p>The good thing about Katara not being able to keep a secret was that Toph could actually dress for the occasion. Usually she didn’t care, quickly swiping her hand over the braille hanger for sweatpants and a sweatshirt but it being her sixteen birthday and six month anniversary with Aang she wanted to dress up, be a little girly for one day. </p><p>So Toph had gone shopping with her mom, the one thing they could bond over, and done a whole girls day. They had gotten their nails done at the local spa, Poppy commenting on recent scandals in Japan while Toph texted Aang. She got layers in her hair, allowing the hair stylist to engage her in a conversation about the Great Pretender, an anime with rising popularity. After a lunch of unagi don grilled eel rice bowls and a special treat of sweet red bean mochi, Poppy and Toph entered the most posh store in the mall. She purchased a new outfit that even Poppy Beifong loved.</p><p>Fast forward to this morning, Toph had brushed her hand over the braille label before putting the outfit on. According to it she wore high waisted beige plaid pants which cinched at her wait and flared out at the ends. Her top was short sleeved, a soft felt material, coloured a dusty green collared v-neck with intricate gold embroidery design. She paired it with a new belt that had the Beigfong emblem on it and the necklace Aang had given her. </p><p>“You look amazing Toph,” came her friend Anjali’s voice. Toph had become friends with her in college, fascinated with Anjali’s Indian culture. Even now, Toph could smell the amazing food Anjali had brought, probably made herself. Toph had discovered her favourite type of cuisine after the first time Anjali gave her a piece of chutney and dosa, and now Toph was always ready for tandoori chicken and a mango lassi. Anjali embraced Toph, squeezing the smaller girl’s frame. “Happy Birthday! I brought gulab jamun and ladoo to celebrate, I think Katara forgot that you love Indian food,” she said, pulling back. </p><p>Katara rolled her eyes, while Suki and Ty Lee giggled at her and Anjali grinned “Okay okay, I forgot the type of food and spilled the beans, drop it!” </p><p>“Well you can’t keep a secret from Zuko who can’t keep a secret from Mai, who can’t keep a secret from Ty Lee and eventually the secret made its way to Toph,” Sokka said, coming up on her right side and throwing his arm over her shoulder, “We really should have just let me plan the whole thing and surprise everyone, but Aang needed Katara to help him decide-“</p><p>“Decide the type of cake,” Mai interrupted Sokka, grabbing onto Toph’s left arm and dragging her towards what she assumed was the table with the cake. It was definitely chocolate with vanilla icing, her favourite. As she placed her hands on the table to grab a gulab jamun, Sokka slipped off of her, and Anjali squeezed her shoulders, the shawl of her lehenga brushing against Toph’s bare arm.  </p><p>Toph raised an eyebrow, “If he was so concerned about the type of cake, where is he?”</p><p>Silence. Apparently, no one knew either. </p><p>“He was supposed to be here Toph...No one’s sure where he is, but I’m sure he’s just running late picking a gift or something up.” came Suki’s voice who had moved closer. Toph’s chest constricted, her own boyfriend couldn’t show up for her 16th birthday party that he organized and now her friends were making excuses for him. </p><p>“Well, too bad for him cause I’m not saving any cake!” she exclaimed, pushing away the heaviness in her chest. Her friends burst out laughing, and the party continued. </p><p>They all sat in a circle, playing games and shouting at each other, over the music that blared from the speakers. She and Anjali got paired up for a signaling game, and Anjali came up with the perfect signal, pulling on her shawl to adjust it, and the bells that hung at the ends would tinkle, alerting Toph. “But what about me?” Toph asked, “I don’t really have any bells on me.” </p><p>Anjali was silent for a minute, lost in thought and then spoke, “What if you played with your necklace? You do that anyways a lot.” </p><p>Toph sobered up at the mention of the necklace. The one Aang gave her. And he still hasn’t showed up. “Yeah, I’ll do that.” </p><p>Toph could almost see the pitiful expression on Anjali’s face. “Toph…” </p><p>“It’s fine, I’m gonna find Zuko to distract him, you get ready for the signal.” She walked away, brushing past everyone else to get to Zuko. </p><p>______________</p><p>Toph cut the cake as everyone screamed around her, blew out her candles, and wished for decades more of these birthdays with her friends and family. After the cake cutting Zuko started the music again to which Ty lee grabbed Toph’s hand and they spun around, dancing to an upbeat rhythm. They both twirled together, Ty lee holding onto Toph while trying to beckon Mai closer. </p><p>After switching partners at least three times, Toph leaned over to Anjali, who was dancing with Ty lee and said,”Hey Anjali, I’m going to go take a breather, it’s really loud, is there a rooftop or something?”</p><p>Anjali slowed her spinning, the bells on her lehenga stopped their twinkling.  “Yeah, here come on,” she said. Holding onto Anjali’s arm, the two ladies moved across the room, and up the stairs. Once they reached the top, and made it out into the open air, Anjali stepped back. She squeezed Toph’s shoulder and walked away, her retreating footsteps echoed in Toph’s ears. </p><p>The wind rustled Toph’s bangs, clearing her head. She felt the edge of the roof, leaning on it as she sighed in slight exasperation. She couldn’t believe Aang didn’t show up. Was he having second thoughts? About us? Toph wondered, but she shook her head at herself immediately. She was never going to be the girl who sat on the floor eating ice cream crying over a boy. If Aang wanted to break up(even though he gave no indication yesterday when wishing her at midnight) he would have to grow a pair and show up to tell her. You don’t need anyone. You are Toph Beifong.<br/>
_________________________</p><p>Aang was so late. He had been doing finishing touches and hadn’t even realized that he was so late. Like two hours late to Toph’s party. Scrambling out the door, still putting a shoe on, Aang ran like his life depended on it. Five blocks and one right turn later, he stood in front of the restaurant where from the sound of it, the party had definitely started. “This is your own fault Aang,” he told himself. </p><p>Looking around, Aang noticed fire exit stairs at the side of the building complex. He ran over to them, climbing them as fast as he could when in the corner of his eye he noticed a tiny figure on the leaning over the ledge of the rooftop. As he got higher, a glint of a gold necklace reflecting the sunlight could be seen, and Aang knew who it was immediately. </p><p>“TOPH!”</p><p>She looked down, leaning farther, and Aang yelled again. </p><p>“IT'S AANG! I’M COMING UP HOLD ON!”</p><p>The stairs ended at the highest window, still three feet away from the rooftop. </p><p>“You can’t make it Aang,” Toph called down to him, “just go inside.”</p><p>Aang frowned, that didn’t sound like Toph. She was constantly the one doing reckless things with him. They had both climbed a wall much higher less than a week ago so they could hang out in a private area of campus. </p><p>Aang threw a rope up, and onto the roof, “Catch!” He told Toph, who rolled her eyes and picked the rope up. Aang made quick work of tying the rope to his waist and scaled the wall, jumping over the ledge and onto the rooftop. </p><p>“Sorry I’m late, Toph,” Aang said panting. He had landed so close to Toph that she had to tilt her head up in order to avoid her nose being squished by his chest. </p><p>Toph dropped the rope to glare at him, crossing her arms, “I thought you wanted to break up with me and that’s why you didn’t come.” </p><p>“What? No, never Toph, I was just finishing your gift actually,” Aang said, sheepishly. </p><p>“Oh.” </p><p>“I’m sorry Toph, I should have noticed the time,” Aang said, scratching the back of his neck. </p><p>Toph shrugged nonchalantly, “Yeah. You should have.” Aang internally groaned, he was failing at this. </p><p>“I am really sorry Toph, but I’m going to make it up to you. Can we go somewhere? It’s for your gift, and it’s actually the reason why I’m late.” Aang played nervously with the hem of his shirt, waiting for her reply. </p><p>Toph regarded him, looking as if she was the border between yes or no. And then her curiosity won out(Aang knew it would, their shared curiosity for everything is what brought them together). “Okay, you got one chance.” </p><p>He grinned, and held out a hand. “Ready for an adventure Miss Beifong?” Toph humoured him, lips turning up as she swatted his hand and looped their arms together. </p><p>They both snuck down stairs, weaving through the crowd of their drunk friends and made their way out. </p><p>“Have fun Toph! Don’t do anything I wouldn’t!” came Anjali’s slurred voice. Aang didn’t hear Toph’s answer, but saw her flipping off her very drunk friend and continued heading out with him. </p><p>The pair made it outside, and Aang tugged her left as they fell into their usual rhythm. He gossiped to her about the bipoc meeting from two days ago, remembering that she was completely invested but too lazy to attend the 9 AM meetings. Toph commented in between stories, interjecting his chatter with snips and little jokes. </p><p>“And then Katara said she walked in, and he was just there meditating! He just had his eyes closed and-” </p><p>He came to a jerking stop when he realized they were here, in front of the entrance to the studio. </p><p>_______________________</p><p>Toph felt cheated out of a story. She wanted to hear what embarrassing thing Sparky said, but apparently today was not the day. She let Aang pull her into the building, skipping a little to keep up with his strides. The wind of a door being pushed open swept by her, and they were inside. </p><p>“Uh, Aang?” Her voice echoed throughout the room(hall?) sounding different. “Are we in an empty room?” she asked. </p><p>Aang clutched her hand, and came closer, his breath ghosting over her cheek. “No, it’s not empty.” </p><p>Toph’s heart rate spiked, as it always did when Aang came close. Heat rose to her cheeks, her heart doing somersaults as Aang left a gentle whisper of a kiss on her cheek. </p><p>“Do you remember how we met?” Toph nodded, a little off balance. It wasn’t something she’d ever forget. “Duh, I heard the spray of your spray paint and got curious. And then I stayed to participate with you in your illegal activities.” She wiggled her eyebrows, anticipating Aang’s protest.</p><p>“I’m trying to be romantic Toph!” </p><p>Toph rolled her eyes, “Okay, okay.“We met when you were spray painting, I got curious and even more curious when you said you were a graffiti artist. Rest is history.” </p><p>Aang stepped away, letting go of her hand to come up behind her and massaged her shoulders. She could almost groan at the tension it alleviated. </p><p>“You never saw that graffiti piece, you’ve never seen any of my art. But the way you talk about famous pieces, the way you talk about pieces by Hokusai is amazingly accurate.” </p><p>“That’s because people have described them to me, most of the time you.” she replied. </p><p>“Well, what if you could see it for yourself? Visualize the pieces without someone else?” Aang asked her. </p><p>“Then I’d ask you how’d you come up with a cure for blindness when you’re an art major.”</p><p>She felt a nudge at her shoulder, and she walked forward, guided by Aang’s gentle pushes until he said ‘stop.’ </p><p>“Aang?” </p><p>She felt his hands leave her shoulders, and pick her hands up tenderly placing them on a rough surface. Aang stepped back, and she was left facing something unknown. She moved her hands across, and with surprise she felt ridges, patterns, a change in texture across the canvas. That’s what this is Toph realized. A canvas, a collage of stuff. “Aang…” </p><p>She heard feet shuffle side to side on a wooden floor. “Keep feeling it Toph, I think you’ll know what it is.”</p><p>She felt crinkled pieces of newspaper, pieces of styrofoam, glitter, some feathers. She outlined the bunch of feathers, the group of them forming a shape in her mind. As she made her way to the inner edge of the group of feathers she gasped. “It’s a wing….” </p><p>She could hear the smile in Aang’s voice as he replied, “Yeah it is.” Her fingers travelled to a new surface, and now felt another material, similar to leather or felt, definitely something akin to skin. Moving her fingers down, the material extended for a while and then broke away, back to the rough texture of newspaper. Toph brought her fingers back up to leathery material and traced the outer edge of the leather. It was shaped in an oval fashion, with rectangular shapes attached. Toph realized what art piece she was touching(and now visualizing with clarity in her mind). In that realization, Toph felt her eyes well up, tears sliding down her face in elegant ribbons. </p><p>She whirled around to face Aang. “Aang is that... it’s the flying boar breaking out of a building isn’t it? The one you made for me after I moved out?” </p><p>Aang’s silence was her answer. </p><p>Toph felt a wave of happiness, a crash of belonging, a ripple of love and her previous irritation at Aang for being late slipped out of her mind with ease. She ran at Aang, flinging her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his. Her force made their lips clash almost painfully, but then her lips softened around Aang’s as he picked her up, spinning them both in circles. She didn’t let up, even after her feet touched the ground, and dragged out each kiss. Each one saying, thank you, thank you, thank you. </p><p>After an indeterminate amount of time they parted, both letting out shallow breaths. </p><p>“Wow.” </p><p>Toph quirked an eyebrow, “Wow? Admit it, that was the best make out of your life.” </p><p>Aang shook with laughter, “It definitely isn’t. The best one will be in about one minute.” </p><p>“Oh?” Toph questioned, “Why?” </p><p>Aang’s arms fidgeted at her waist. “I may have booked a tour at the Louvre. It’s a multisensory tour, and we’re leaving in two days. I may also have already told your parents so they can’t stop us.” </p><p>Toph’s brain short circuited in the way it did, only around Aang. She giggled. </p><p>“Uh, Toph?” </p><p>Toph giggled again, resting her forehead on Aang’s. A rush of adrenaline streamed through her veins, her heart had stopped doing somersaults and was now doing an entire gymnastics routine as she blinked away a couple tears. “We’re going to Paris,” she whispered over to Aang. She ran her thumb over the back of his neck, feeling his shiver. “Yeah, we are,” he murmured. </p><p>“Sometimes I think you know me better than you know your own name. I’ve always wanted to go to the Louvre.”</p><p>Aang’s right hand brushed over her lips, the left still holding onto her waist. “I’m pretty sure you know me better than I know myself.”</p><p>“Mmmm...So, let’s head back to the party?” Toph said, extracting herself from their hug. </p><p>“Toph!”</p><p>She smirked, and raised an eyebrow, confident despite the butterflies in her stomach.“What? I know you better than you know yourself! You haven’t seen Sokka in a year!”</p><p>“Okay, but best make out of my life?” </p><p>She went back to Aang, placing her hands on either side of his face. </p><p>“Hmmm… I guess we can go back in a couple minutes.”</p><p>Aang’s arms encircled her waist again. </p><p>“I love you Toph.”</p><p>“Love ya too.” </p><p>__________</p><p>You know my thoughts<br/>
Before I open up my mouth and try to speak<br/>
You know my dreams<br/>
Must be listening when I'm talking in my sleep<br/>
I hope you know<br/>
I love having you around me<br/>
Don't you know</p><p>
  <em>Thankful, Kelly Clarkson</em>
</p><p> </p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Thank you for reading! Kudos and comments are very much appreciated, and yes, there’s a song again because music inspires me to write! As a South Asian girl I had to include some of my favourite food items from my culture. We rarely see South Asian representation properly done in the media(including atla) so if I’m writing I am for sure going to include it, and because Toph would definitely gulp down glasses of mango lassi. </p><p>I got the inspiration for the concept of an art museum for Toph from this article: https://www.mutualart.com/Article/How-the-Art-World-is-Making-Way-for-the-/40BD2955157C32C1 </p><p>Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed it!</p></blockquote></div></div>
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